Resolution Adopted by the CCAR

Vietnamese Refugees and Amnesty

Adopted by the CCAR at the 86th Annual Convention of
the Central Conference of American Rabbis
1975

WHEREAS we are heirs of a prophetic tradition which ever sought to repair the damaged
world, and

WHEREAS in our efforts to restore the world to sanity we affirm the following position
which we take knowing full well the complexity of such an issue but knowing also
that we cannot be silent,

WHEREAS the Central Conference of American Rabbis has a long record of opposition
to the Vietnam conflict,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that we now express our special concern for the people and
the land of Vietnam and seek the rebuilding of that devastated country just as we
seek the healing of the wounds the war in Vietnam brought to our own country. We
call for relief funds to be extended to Vietnam under multilateral auspices to insure their
expenditure for the purposes granted. We deplore the sentiment in our own country
which would close our gates to Vietnamese refugees or any refugee coming here to
seek freedom. We call on congregations to take active part in the resettlement of refugees.
We again call on Congress to grant unconditional amnesty to those who refused to
serve in the Vietnam war and either went to prison, resisted, deserted or went into
exile.